Post-Listing Update: After 6 bids on eBay, this Schwinn Whizzer did not meet reserve at $1,225.
First produced in 1939, the Whizzer bicycle engine was built by Breene-Taylor engineering, an airplane part manufacturer based out of Los Angeles. Three years later, the engine production was sold off and it continued on until the mid 60’s. If you learn anything from this post, make it this: there is no “standard” Whizzer. They were simply engine kits sold so that consumers could make motorized bicycles. Today we’ve got a restored example of a Whizzer engine on a Schwinn bicycle.
Interestingly enough, the Whizzer was the only vehicle that you could buy brand new during World War II – and that was only because the company had to lobby the US Government for permission. Their argument? That the Whizzer was an excellent transportation option for government employees (especially in defense) to commute to work. Want to learn more? Check out this excellent history of Whizzer from Jack Backstreet.
This specific Schwinn Whizzer is probably a Model H, the first modern example from the company – about 139,000 were sold, and it retailed for $97.55. Cleveland Welding originally built a bike specifically for the Whizzer in ’47, but after a patent conflict, Whizzer partnered with Schwinn. This bike has been beautifully restored, though there are some minor gas marks on the tank and the points have been replaced with a transistor.
Find this Schwinn Whizzer for sale in Waterloo, South Carolina with an opening bid of $1,000